Articles: palliative-care.
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Obstetrics and gynecology · Mar 1993
Percutaneous endoscopic drainage gastrostomy in the treatment of gastrointestinal obstruction from intraperitoneal malignancy.
We evaluated the effectiveness of a percutaneous technique for placement of a drainage gastrostomy. Progressive dilatation of the abdominal and gastric walls was used to place a Malecot catheter (28 French). Endoscopic guidance assured proper placement and assisted in the dilatation. ⋯ All catheters provided unobstructed drainage and decompression of gastrointestinal obstruction. Percutaneous endoscopic drainage gastrostomy seems to be an effective means of palliating small-bowel obstruction and its complication rate appears low. This method may be suitable to replace open laparotomy techniques for gasrostomy placement.
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Palliative care arose out of the change from acute to chronic causes of death and the emphasis of health care on improving quality of life. In the United Kingdom, specialist palliative care is provided mainly for cancer patients through hospices and support teams, which have grown rapidly in the last 30 years. Single sites and more recently several units have demonstrated their effectiveness, acceptability and efficiency. ⋯ A palliative care component and appropriate standards could be included in the needs assessment and the contracts for many hospital and community services. In research on new treatments, particularly for cancer and HIV/AIDS, palliative aspects should be measured along with survival and the usually fairly basic estimates of quality of life. Hospices, and in particular support teams and day care, require further evaluation if they are to extend their role to providing care for the younger people with HIV/AIDS and the older people who are dying from chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease.
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Palliative care is one of the most demanding, challenging but rewarding specialties in health care. This article provides an overview of the career opportunities for nurses wishing to improve their palliative care knowledge and skills or enter the specialty.
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Language is mainly a function of the left hemisphere of the brain; music is mainly a function of the right hemisphere. Using language and music together therapeutically with brain-impaired patients offers a greater chance of activating intact neurological pathways than using language alone. Music therapy also offers an alternate and creative way of communicating with these patients.